Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is preparing a Chairman’s Progress Report on the flood control scandal to pave the way for the resumption of hearings and to aid case-buildup by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Lacson also said he is keen on inviting anew former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to the committee’s next hearing – and having him join a faceoff with captured former Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co and former soldiers who claimed to have delivered kickbacks to various personalities on Co’s orders.
“We have drafted a Chairman’s Progress Report. I cannot report out the partial committee report on the Senate floor due to the lack of needed signatures. So to get it over with, I have thought of drafting the Chairman’s Progress Report, which has a precedent,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio Sunday.
“We owe it to the Filipino people. The Blue Ribbon Committee has conducted eight hearings on the matter but has yet to come up with even a partial report,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, Inihahanda ang Blue Ribbon Chairman’s Progress Report, Balak ang ‘Faceoff’ kina Dating Speaker Romualdez, Zaldy Co, at mga Dating Sundalo
He said the Chairman’s Progress Report will contain the findings of the partial report, and include pieces of evidence gathered during the hearings as attachments.
It will also include visual aids that will help the public better understand the report once it is presented in plenary, he added.
Lacson said he remains open to more senators signing the partial committee report so he can sponsor it on the floor where it can be debated upon, amended and adopted.
Once the chairman’s progress report is filed, Lacson said this could pave the way for the resumption of panel hearings – and allow the panel to furnish the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman with a copy of the report – including the pieces of evidence that may help their investigation.
“Rendering the chairman’s progress report is as good as sponsoring the partial report. So we can resume hearings once the chairman’s progress report is rendered because the contents of the partial report become a matter of public record,” he said.
“The Office of the Ombudsman informally asked for a copy of our partial report. We are studying if this can be done especially as the partial report has not been tackled on the Senate floor. But one way to address this is with the chairman’s progress report, that will help the Ombudsman in its investigation,” he added.
“We must help each other and integrate our efforts so the investigation will be clearer,” Lacson said.
Inviting Romualdez
Lacson said he is keen on inviting former Speaker Romualdez to the panel’s next hearing, especially after he hinted in his video message that he may link personalities to the flood control mess.
“So long as there are aspects to the issue that his participation is needed – and it seems that way because he needs to clarify some of his recent statements – we’ll keep inviting him,” he said.
He added it would be better if Romualdez faced off with ex-Rep. Co and ex-soldiers who claimed delivering flood control project kickbacks to various personalities – including Romualdez.
“I am not a judge but I have experience in investigation and intelligence. It is important to observe their demeanor. Assuming Romualdez attends along with Co and some ex-soldiers including (Orly) Guteza, we can ask them questions and gauge who is telling the truth and who is lying,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of the evidence leading to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Lacson maintained the Blue Ribbon panel will follow the evidence, even if it leads to him. But he added that for now, Co’s claims linking the President to the delivery of kickbacks have no evidentiary value because they were not made under oath.
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Lacson, Inihahanda ang Blue Ribbon Chairman’s Progress Report, Balak ang ‘Faceoff’ kina Dating Speaker Romualdez, Zaldy Co, at mga Dating Sundalo
Inihahanda ni Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang isang Chairman’s Progress Report hinggil sa flood control scandal para magbigay-daan sa muling pagdinig ng komite at makatulong sa pagbuo ng mga kaso ng Department of Justice at Office of the Ombudsman laban sa mga sangkot.
Ani Lacson, nais din niyang muling imbitahan si dating Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez sa susunod na pagdinig ng komite — at pagharapain ito kina dating Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co at mga dating sundalo na nagsabing naghatid sila ng mga kickback sa iba’t ibang personalidad.
“Nakapag-draft na kami ng Chairman’s Progress Report. Ang partial report, hindi ko ma-report out dahil sa kakulangan ng signatures ng mga members. So para to get it over with, naisip mo may precedent naman ito sa nakaraan, magsagawa ng Chairman’s Progress Report,” aniya sa panayam sa DZBB radio.
“We owe it to the Filipino people. Ang Blue Ribbon Committee naka-walong hearings, wala man lang nailabas man lang maski partial report,” dagdag niya.
Aniya, ilalahad sa Chairman’s Progress Report ang mga natuklasan sa partial report, kalakip ang mga ebidensiyang nakalap sa mga pagdinig bilang attachments.
Maglalaman din ito ng mga visual aid upang mas madaling maunawaan ng publiko ang ulat kapag iniharap na ito sa plenaryo, aniya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na bukas pa rin siya sa posibilidad na may iba pang senador na pumirma sa partial committee report upang maisulong niya ito sa plenaryo, kung saan maaari itong talakayin, amyendahan, at pagtibayin.
Kapag naisumite na ang Chairman’s Progress Report, sinabi ni Lacson na maaari itong magbigay-daan sa muling pagsasagawa ng mga pagdinig ng komite — at pahintulutan ang panel na magbigay ng kopya ng ulat sa Department of Justice at Office of the Ombudsman, kasama ang mga ebidensiyang maaaring makatulong sa kanilang imbestigasyon.
“Kung mai-render ko ang chairman’s progress report, that is also as good as sponsoring the partial report. So pwede nang i-resume ang hearing kasi nailabas namin as a matter of public record ang nilalaman ng partial report,” aniya.
“Nagpadala ng mensahe though unofficial, nagpadala ng mensahe ang Ombudsman kung pwedeng padalhan namin sila ng copy ng aming partial report. Pinagaaralan namin ngayon kung uubra ba na ipadala namin maski di pa ito bring up sa floor. So ang isang paraan at ito meron namang pinanggagalingan, ang chairman’s progress report, pwede ibahagi sa Ombudsman nang sa ganoon magamit nila kung anuman ang evidence na wala pa sila at may nakalap sa Blue Ribbon Committee para sa pagsagawa ng kanilang preliminary investigation,” dagdag niya.
“So dapat magkatulong tulong ma-integrate ang effort para mas luminaw, mas tumining ang tubig,” aniya.
Pag-imbita kay Romualdez
Sinabi ni Lacson na nais niyang imbitahan si dating Speaker Romualdez sa susunod na pagdinig ng komite, lalo na matapos nitong magpahiwatig sa isang video message na maaari niyang pangalanan ang ilang personalidad na sangkot sa isyu sa flood control.
“As long as may information na kailangan ang kanyang participation and it seems that way na meron talaga siyang kailangang linawin lalo pa nga’t may nilabas siyang mensahe, we’ll keep inviting him,” aniya.
Dagdag pa niya, mas makabubuti kung magharap sina Romualdez, Co, at ang mga dating sundalo na nagsabing sila ang naghatid ng kickback sa iba’t ibang personalidad, kabilang ang dating Speaker.
“Hindi ako huwes pero base sa aking karanasan na rin sa investigation and intelligence, importante ang maobserbahan mo ang demeanor. Assuming mag-attend siya na payagan siya ng House at siya mismo kusang loob mag-attend, wala kang masyadong way ma-check ang kanyang tine-testify. Pero kung nandiyan si Co at ilang ex-soldiers na nag-deliver o si Guteza pa, mas makakapagtanong kami simultaneously at malalaman maga-gauge namin sino nagsasabi ng totoo at sino outright na nagsisinungaling,” aniya.
Nang tanungin hinggil sa posibilidad na umabot sa Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang ebidensiya, iginiit ni Lacson na susundan ng Blue Ribbon panel ang ebidensiya, kahit pa humantong ito sa Pangulo. Gayunman, aniya, sa ngayon ay wala pang halagang ebidensiyal ang mga pahayag ni Co na nag-uugnay sa Pangulo sa umano’y mga kickback dahil hindi ito ginawa sa ilalim ng panunumpa.
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